We care for pregnant women, and deliver babies. Midwives provide complete prenatal care from the time of conception through the postpartum period. The prenatal care we provide is very much like what is provided by an obstetrician: vitamins, regular prenatal visits, ultrasounds, lab work, and so on. However, midwives believe that pregnancy and birth are natural processes that usually don't need intervention. Read more about the midwifery model of care. I usually spend a very long time with my patients, offering emotional support and making sure they know the best way to care for themselves during pregnancy. I explain all the tests and procedures that have become standard during pregnancy, so that my patients can make truly informed decisions about what is offered to them. When it comes time for delivery, they have a lot of choices in how they birth. I help them to understand what those choices are, and the implications of those choices. If they don't want pain medicines, I will be there with them and support them throughout their labor, encouraging them and letting them know what a good job they are doing! And if they choose to have an epidural, there's no judgement from me. After all, it's not my birth, it's theirs. We manage obstetric complications. This is actually why we go to school. While in most cases pregnancy and birth go pretty smoothly, the reason you have someone attend your birth is to manage any complications that arise. I tend to be very low intervention, so if nothing goes wrong, I'm likely there just to monitor the baby's heartbeat and encourage you, rub your back, help you change positions. If a complication develops, I'm trained and experienced to handle most things: hemorrhage, stalled labor, dips in the baby's heartbeat. If there is an emergency, I have a relationship with a physician, and I will consult and refer as necessary. The State of Ohio requires this written agreement, and it helps provide a smooth transition of care. We have superior outcomes. Really! When compared to physicians with low risk patients, midwives with the same types of patients had better outcomes Cochrane review. Patients who use a midwife are more likely to feel in control during labor, and to have a spontaneous vaginal birth. Midwives have fewer C-sections, fewer epidurals, fewer episiotomies, fewer medicated births, and even in high risk populations, fewer low-birthweight babies (Obstetrics & Gynecology 1990;75:341-345). Our practice is evidence-based. This means we are continually reviewing the best research and learning from it. We provide primary care, which means that we diagnose and treat common health problems. To accomplish this, we order lab work and other diagnostic tests, and prescribe medications. We are advanced practice nurses who can treat a wide range of problems, from strep throat to bladder infections to asthma. We consult and refer to other physicians and specialists as necessary. We care for women throughout the lifespan. This means that from adolescence through menopause, we offer regular gynecologic care including PAP tests, contraception, and treatment of gynecologic problems.